Recycled Glass Used
to Create Custom Flooring

Onalaska, WA— Allied Floors, a commercial flooring
contractor in Seattle, developed a process that mixes recycled glass in
a custom-colored cement base, producing attractive, one-of-a-kind floor
designs. The process is less expensive than terrazzo flooring and produces
a floor that is available for use within 24 hours after application.

Allied Floors has worked to incorporate more recycled materials into their
products and created Spectocular Floor™ to reach their goals. To
create a custom Spectocular Floor™, Allied uses a concrete-based
floor leveling material produced by Ardex, Inc., which can be installed
quickly and easily, and dries within a few hours to a smooth, flat surface.
The base material can be tinted to any color of the rainbow, and recycled
glass pieces can be added to the base to create a customized design. After
it dries, the floor is ground with a diamond grinder to reveal the distinctive
glass and cement pattern. The floor can be further customized by adding
cement stain and then finished with an acrylic or epoxy sealer. Spectocular
Floors™ are suitable for commercial applications, such as in a retail
store, restaurant, casino or mall, or for home use, as well.

"Creating a market for recycled glass, which is a priority material
for our county, is the main goal," says Erv Sandlin, King County's
LinkUp program manager. LinkUp encourages businesses and manufacturers
to incorporate more recycled materials into their products.